The Fourth R...
By BarBaraPrz
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
St. Catharines, Ontario
April 26, 2010 12:15pm CST
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... what about Repair?
The best way to reduce or reuse something is to repair it. But not a lot of people do. They just toss it and get a new one. Landfills are full of stuff that is "broken" but that could actually be repaired and continue to provide service for many years to come.
This weekend I heard about a website whose motto is "Fixing the world, one piece of hardware at a time." It is: http://www.ifixit.com/
They offer step-by-step online repair advice and troubleshooting tips. For free.
Right now, they can help you repair your Mac, iPod or iPhone, and sell you whatever service parts and tools you may need. They plan to add more repair manuals (not just for Apple products, either).
As they state on their website, self repair saves you money and helps the environment.
5 people like this
17 responses
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
28 Apr 10
I was reading on yahoo the other day that things like cell phones were purposely made to only last about as long as the warranties or just about a couple of years. I bought a cheap $10.00 plastic fan about 10 year ago and when it would stop I just oiled it and it would run again for a couple more years. Well I finely had to let it go. Things used to be easier to get repairs for. The place I used to work for was always getting repairs for the coffee pot. We could just run to Gamble and they always had the part. but I don't think gamble even exists any more. but I book marked that site and will be using it.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
28 Apr 10
Hmmm... I never thought to oil my cheap plastic fan. I just give the blades a push-start with a pencil until it starts going again.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Apr 10
tHANKS FOR THE TIP, bARB. i AM THE UNHANDIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD. tHEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A HOUSE CALL TO ME, LOL.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
Well, check out the site anyway. There's an interesting video on it.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
27 Apr 10
Thanks for the info. I know the site will help alot of people. I know some folks are smarter than me when it comes to fixing things. I wish i was handy. Have a good tues., Barb.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18481)
• Orangeville, Ontario
26 Apr 10
When my phone took a brief dip in the washing machine, the only continual problem I have is with the battery. I could buy a new battery, for a hundred bucks, or buy a new phone for $125. What seems more practical? They don't make things the way they used to, unfortunately. A rocking chair used to last a hundred years. Buy one today and you're lucky if it will last 5 years.
In a lot of cases it's cheaper to replace than repair.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
Too true, unfortunately. It's called Planned Obsolescense.
@tomcat23 (621)
• Old Forge, Pennsylvania
26 Apr 10
I have to agree with you patgalca. In fact, in some cases, it actually costs more to repair then it does to replace. I had an old printer, and it actually cost less for a new and better printer than it would to replace the ink cartridge on the old one, plus the replacement had to be special ordered. When it comes to electronics, it seems the replacement parts cost almost as much as a new model and usually more than a refurbished better model. I guess its one way to keep the manufacturers in business, while providing job security for its employees.
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
26 Apr 10
I call it a disposable world. My friend does upholstery work.....she just about had nothing this last year for work. The price of material etc is so expensive that people just throw it away. They can go buy a whole new set of furniture every couple of years instead of fixing it....cheaper. I do believe we should start fixing things too! It's such a waste!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Apr 10
The stuff they make some furniture out of these days is little more than cardboard. It should be a crime.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
27 Apr 10
Yeah BarBaraPrz--most furniture is made of that chintzy particle board. I only got my computer desk about three years ago and the top of it is already looking yukky--but no way would I just throw it out
1 person likes this
@reckon21 (3477)
• Philippines
27 Apr 10
Really...this is particularly a good site and they are offering a big service to anybody. Repairing a products instead of throwing it in the trash is one way of saving money because we are in a tight financial crisis nowadays. It would be much helpful if all the people will repair their gadgets instead of buying new ones.
But if these happens and all people will repair their appliances or gadgets do you think it will affect the companies who built those products. What I'm trying to say is that those products may last longer years and the company will be standby to create the products because people no longer buy new ones.
The pressure of demand is no longer available so the company will become stagnant and the employee also. What do you think.
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
I think there was less unemployment in the does when things were made to last.
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
That should be days... some gremlims changed it...
@nonersays (3344)
• United States
8 May 10
Yep, when our dryer belt broke it was TONS cheaper to buy a new belt than a new dryer! Fixing things is much cheaper
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
1 May 10
I hope that site continues to develop, it looks like it could be very useful. I've never been one to throw things out just because they don't work any more, so it's great to see a place like that.
It's true that some things cost almost as much to fix as it does to buy new, but not everything does, so it pays to find out for sure before deciding what to do. Also, if you can buy older things, they will probably last longer.
Someone mentioned their desk looking bad. I bought a large, two piece desk at a thrift store and have used it 9 years so far. It still looks good and is as solid as the day it was made.
"They" say we're filling our landfills faster than ever. I wonder why? They shouldn't get onto the consumer's case about it; it should be the manufacturer's problem.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
2 May 10
You're right, it should be the manufacturer's responsibility.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
27 Apr 10
As some have already mentioned sometimes the cost of repairing something is almost the same as buying a newer item. We live in such a disposable age, and things are made crappily, not well made and just don't last as long as they used to. I often wonder how much it would cost to get those really large HDTV plasma type TVs...do you realize how many I see chucked out in the garbage all along my block and they look fairly new too--but guess people are just enticed to get new rather than repair, either that maybe they don't want that TV anymore and want an even larger TV (and some of these TVs are the size of movie screens...sheesh)
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
When TVs still had tubes as opposed to transistors, capacitors, etc., if your TV was on the fritz, you could pull out the tubes and take them to an electronics store that had a tube tester machine and test them yourself. If a tube was burnt out, you could get a replacement and actually fix your TV yourself. I don't think you can even get the back off modern TVs.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
27 Apr 10
I agree. My father has almost always been able to repair things that have stopped working as they should. He has the gift of being successful most of the time! I am not as gifted but I usually attempt fixing before dumping. Thanks for the link; it will come in handy (pardon the pun!) It would certainly help the environment if fewer things were thrown away but repaired instead.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
The site is like Wikipedia in that users can upload their own repair advice for others to use.
1 person likes this
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
27 Apr 10
This is a very good discussion. I hope more discussions like this get posted..You are so correct in saying that people completely forget 'Repair'. If we have to 'Go green' effectively, then 'repair' can make a huge difference.
So many of us just buy a new product because we don't want to put in the effort to get the old product repaired. If most of us were to ensure that we got our electronic gadgets and even other items fixed, it would surely ensure that the landfills and dumps don't overflow, the way they are right now.
Thanks for the site link. 
.You are so correct in saying that people completely forget 'Repair'. If we have to 'Go green' effectively, then 'repair' can make a huge difference.
So many of us just buy a new product because we don't want to put in the effort to get the old product repaired. If most of us were to ensure that we got our electronic gadgets and even other items fixed, it would surely ensure that the landfills and dumps don't overflow, the way they are right now.
Thanks for the site link. @tomcat23 (621)
• Old Forge, Pennsylvania
26 Apr 10
This is good to know, but in most cases the parts needed to fix something cost almost as much as a replacement especially when it comes to refurbished items. Of course repair is always my first option, not just to save money, but for the accomplishment as well.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 10
Well, I hope you can make good use of that site.
@Beautyfactor (1510)
•
26 Apr 10
I used to be very wasteful too but now I have completely changed. If I can repair something I will, even if I have to call in an expert it's still works out way cheaper than buying something from new.
Take my washing machine for exapmle. It's only three years old and started playing up a few weeks ago. I hunted around but couldn't find a decent one for less than €300, so we had someone in to fix ours and the labour and part cost €95 and she is working as goog as new now.
1 person likes this
Yay! for you. 
@redhotpogo (4398)
• United States
1 May 10
That's a good thing to have. Many people just get rid of their broken items, because to have it repaired would be more expensive then the item is actually worth. So its cheaper to just get a new one. But if people knew how to repair it themselves, they could actually save money.
1 person likes this
